Fleet Management

So Cal Port Truckers: Inspection Program Causing Congestion

The California Trucking Association recently came out against a new chassis equipment inspection process at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, saying they are causing congestion problems, according to a report in the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

The inspections are carried out by members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, who approve chassis and trailers at the port for roadability. This step slows down the process for drivers finding a chassis to carry out cargo, causing truckers to have to wait, according to the CTA.

The trucking association attacked the practice in a statement saying the inspections inefficient and unnecessary. It called for the ILWU and Pacific Maritime Association to work with the trucking community to resolve the issue. The CTA represents more than 200 trucking companies that service ports across California.

"The PMA and ILWU both claim they want to work to resolve congestion, but the implementation of inefficient, unnecessary chassis inspections says otherwise,” said Alex Cherin, executive director fo the Intermodal Conference of the CTA. “Chassis should be repaired and inspected before they are provided to truckers, not after.”

Responding to the statement in the Press-Telegram, a representative of the ILWU said that the inspection program was necessary for safety. Chassis inspection and repair was a major point of contention in the labor negotiations between the ILWU and PMA that caused work stoppages at the ports earlier this year, according to an early report.

In the meantime, the CTA says it is looking at the legality of ILWU inspections and is seeking input from federal regulators on the matter.